


Paper Planes

by BehindTheRobinsMask



Series: Knowing you, loving you [7]
Category: Nightwing (Comics), Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Angst, Confessions, Confrontations, Dick Grayson Gets a Hug, Difficult Decisions, Happy Ending, M/M, Plans
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-16
Updated: 2020-09-16
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:48:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,029
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26501650
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BehindTheRobinsMask/pseuds/BehindTheRobinsMask
Summary: Bruce confronts Dick. Jason finally gets the answer he's been looking for.
Relationships: Dick Grayson/Jason Todd
Series: Knowing you, loving you [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1908331
Comments: 12
Kudos: 155





	Paper Planes

**Author's Note:**

> Songs:
> 
> 1) What's It Like by You Me At Six  
> 2) Paper Planes by Elina (Epilogue)

_ The ticking of the clock echoed in the room as Dick’s eyes fluttered open, a groan escaping his lips because he wanted to sleep in a little longer, something he couldn’t do as long as the sun’s light was sweeping across his face. Unfortunately, he didn’t have the strength to go over and close the curtains. Every bone, every cell in his body was beyond exhausted, his mind a pile of mush that couldn’t come up with a single coherent thought. While he had read so much about heats, nothing prepared him for how draining they could be. Now he felt like he needed to sleep for another week just to compensate for the energy he had lost.   
  
_

_ Glancing on the table next to his bed, Dick reached for the jar of water that Alfred usually left for him but today, it was empty. It seemed that butler hadn’t come by to check on him which was strange because since his heat had begun, Alfred always came around ten in the morning to make sure that Dick had something to eat and then again during lunch and dinner. But right now, it was half-past twelve and there was no sign of him. This meant that Dick had no choice but to go downstairs to the kitchen, the very thought made him whine and curl up into a ball.   
  
_

_ Even though his body protested his decision, a dull ache humming through it, Dick pushed himself out of bed because he would not give anyone reasons to think he was weak. While he was an omega, he knew he worked harder than anyone else. Then again, he was sure he didn’t have anything to prove to Jason and Bruce. Whatever his secondary gender might be, they would love him. They always had.   
  
_

_ Slowly but steadily, feeling like a newborn fawn learning how to walk, Dick inched towards the door. And just as his hand reached out for the doorknob, he heard voices, people talking outside. It wasn’t like him to eavesdrop but he was sure that someone had said his name. So, he waited and he listened.   
  
_

_ “I’m sure the young master can take care of himself,” Alfred said. From the sound of his voice, he seemed tired.   
  
_

_ “It’s not about whether he can take care of himself or not. He’s an omega, Alfred and his body will be going through one change after another. What if something happens while he’s out on patrol? What if his heat is triggered? With all the drugs running around in the market, the risk is too high,” Bruce argued and his words made Dick’s heart sink.  
  
_

_ They couldn’t possibly be talking about him. They just couldn’t. Because the Bruce he knew respected omegas. The Bruce he knew would never think of them as weak and helpless.   
  
_

_ “Then what do you propose, Master Bruce?” Alfred asked and with his breath caught in his throat, Dick waited for the answer, each second dragging on for much too long.  
  
_

_ “I don’t think he can continue to be Robin.”   
  
_

_ Stumbling away from the door, wide-eyed, Dick fell back on his bed, his mind refusing to believe the words he had heard. No. No. No. Bruce wouldn’t do this to him. He couldn’t. Robin was his, a name passed down from his parents, a legacy, a memory that meant everything to him. He couldn’t just take it away. He had to know what that would do to Dick. He had to know that would kill him.   
  
_

_ But as the door opened and Alfred rushed in, seeing the tears in Dick’s eyes, seeing the way he struggled to breathe as panic settled in his veins, Bruce just stood back and watched. He just stood there without every apologizing, letting Dick know that he had been abandoned.  _

*******

Dick couldn’t remember what happened between his departure from the manor to his arrival at the safe house. Everything was a blur of colours and voices calling his name, Jason and Damian reaching out to him as if he was fragile, made of glass and falling apart. The only thing that he could see, the only thing that haunted his every thought was the look of disapproval in Bruce’s eyes the moment he stepped into the manor dressed as Batman. Those eyes drove him to run. Those eyes made adrenaline pump through his veins as he walked into his room, his body practically humming with excitement.   
  


“Richard? Is everything okay?” Artemis asked from the doorway. Dick briefly recalled her saying something to him when he initially came to the safehouse. Whether it was a joke or words of concern, he couldn’t really tell. He hadn’t been listening, his mind preoccupied.   
  


“Bruce is back,” Dick answered as he rolled up the carpet that was laid beside his bed, uncovering a trap door. “He’s alive and back in Gotham.”  
  


As he unlocked the door, he could feel Artemis stare at him, her eyes drilling holes into his back.   
  


“... You knew he wasn’t dead,” she whispered, putting two and two together.  
  


“I had a hunch.” Dick shrugged, finally looking up at her so she could see just how excited he was. “Like you said, Art. I’m a planner. I don’t leave anything to chance and considering the kind of person Bruce is, unless I had proof that he died, I could never believe it. So, I prepared. Just in case.”  
  


Shifting from the door, Artemis kneeled down next to Dick and placed her hand on his shoulder, her brows furrowed as she searched for something in his eyes. She seemed worried but he didn’t know why. Was it something he said? Or was his expression just that unhinged that it made her worry he’d gone off the edge? Whatever it was, Dickc couldn’t bother with it right now. Not when he had limited time to prepare for the final act.   
  


“Just tell me one thing. Are you going to do something stupid?” Artemis asked and her question just made Dick grin.   
  


“Oh, Art. I’m just giving everyone the encore they deserve,” he answered, opening the trap door to reveal everything hidden inside. “I’m just making all my dreams come true.”  
  


And this time, there was no one who could stop him. Not even Jason. 

*******

  
  
Dick always thought that fights that took place in construction sights were cliche, something taken out of poorly written action movies that existed just to make a quick buck. But he also believed that life would be too boring without a little bit of drama so he decided to stage the final act of his plan at the very spot that made him roll his eyes. Crossing his arms, he tried to remain cool. He tried to seem composed even though on the inside he was a mess of emotions. Scared. Nervous. Excited as hell. So very restless. It took everything he had not to start bouncing from one part of the structure to another. Any minute now, his second lead would arrive and there would be no do-overs. This wasn’t a practice simulation. This was the real thing.   
  


If he had to be honest, he’d miss the weight of the cape on his shoulders and the burden that came with the cowl. In the beginning, a part of him was afraid that all of his would be too much for him, that despite waiting for this day for years, he wasn’t ready. But now, being in this suit that he had created from his own two hands, Dick felt like this was where he belonged. He knew that he had done well whether Bruce agreed or not. Though there was another part of him that was ready to go back to being the Red Hood. Batman wasn’t his legacy and the cowl, no matter how right it felt, was only temporary.  
  


As a strong scent filled the air, one that would have brought omegas and betas alike down to their knees, Dick sighed, his lips pulling into a grin under his mask. This was always Bruce’s signature move to start a fight. Though he never used his own scent because that would be a big give away into Batman’s identity.   
  


“Come on now, old man. Do you really think that’s going to work?” Dick asked as he turned around to face his guest. He then tapped his mask. “This has filters so your little trick to make me submit? Yeah, that doesn’t really work.”

  
“That was never my intention,” Bruce said and hearing his voice after so many years made Dick shiver. Though he would never let it show. “I only wanted you to be calm so we can talk.”  
  


“If you only wanted to talk, you could have just said so,” Dick pointed out as he crossed his arms. “There was no need for the little show. Now, what is it that you want?”  
  


Both of them knew that Dick didn’t really need to ask this question. They both knew why Bruce was here tonight. They both knew exactly what he wanted. But Dick needed him to say it out loud. He wanted Bruce to express just how disappointed he was in the tactics he had employed while he wore the cowl. He wanted him to go on a rant about how dangerous this job was for an omega like him and how he should have left such a responsibility to Jason. Or maybe even Tim.   
  


“I watched the tapes and I heard everyone’s report on your time as Batman,” Bruce started. “And while you did a decent job, you were wild. You were reckless. You proved that my decision to hand over the cowl to Jason was the right one.”  
  


Snorting, Dick just shook his head. When he’d worn the cowl for the first time, standing in front of the mirror, he’d closed his eyes and imagined everything Bruce would say to him after he saw him in Batman’s suit. He played the scenario in his head so many times, playing through the good, the bad and the normal. But even then, he knew only the bad scenario would bleed into reality as word by word, Bruce enacted Dick’s imagination.   
  


If Jason was the surprise in every equation, Bruce was the painfully predictable fool who brooded, loomed and grunted at things that didn’t go his way. He was a smart man, there was no doubt about it. No one could come as far as he did without knowing what they were doing. But he was also stubborn, so set in his ways and his decisions. His morals were everything to him and it didn’t matter who died, he wouldn’t change no matter what.   
  


_ But change is important. It is necessary because if there isn’t change, there is stagnation.  
  
_

Everything Artemis had said to Dick the night before had been right. Tomorrow, he would go through another cycle of change, open his eyes to something new. Someone new. But Bruce, he’d always stay the same. And that’s where they were different. And that’s why Dick knew that today, he would be the victor.   
  


“I personally think that I did wonderfully,” Dick said with his hands on his hips. “So what if I had a little bit of fun? There’s nothing wrong with that,  _ dad _ . You’re just old and boring.”  
  


“Hood,” Bruce bit out but Dick stopped him right there.  
  


“It’s Batman,” he reminded and pulled out his guns, shooting without warning.  
  


Bruce dodged to the left, his movement already in motion before Dick even aimed his weapon. He knew this was going to happen and was probably scoping out the area while engaging Dick in a discussion about just how disappointed he was. In the end, he hadn’t come here to talk. He had come here to fight. But too bad for him because Dick had already expected this, rigging the whole place accordingly.  
  


From what he knew about his alpha, Bruce would have gone through all the videos on the Batcomputer and memorized Dick’s fighting style. He would have then compared it to the past to see how he had changed and where he had improved. After that, he would have checked the security footage of the cave itself to see if any of his weapons and suits had been tampered with.   
  


_ Predictable. Predictable. Predictable.   
  
_

Unfortunately for him, Dick had been preparing for his final showdown for much longer, being as inconspicuous as possible. Bruce never had to ‘die’ for his dreams to come true. All he ever needed was a catalyst. As for the suits, he never felt any need to mess with them. He had been watching Batman for long enough to know exactly what his suit was made of, where the armour was strongest and where it was the weakest.   
  


As Bruce moved across the scaffolding, the trap that Dick had set would trigger and smoke would fill the air. It would be a temporary measure though because Batman was more than used to dealing with things like this. And while this strategy wouldn’t surprise him, Dick surged forward, fingers clenching into a fist that was aimed at Bruce’s exposed jaw. The older alpha raised his right hand to block and Dick shot him three times, close-ranged in the very area of his chest where the armour was a little weaker than the rest. It had to be a precise shot but he knew he could do it.   
  


When the impact made Bruce stumble back, Dick grinned because he knew this was just the beginning.   
  


“Still think I’m not good enough,  _ dad _ ?” he taunted, his words making the alpha growl.   
  


“Your overconfidence has always been your downfall,” Bruce warned as he took up a more defensive position. “It will be today as well.”  
  


Gripping his guns, Dick took aim once again, ready to push Bruce deeper into his trap.  
  


“We’ll just see about that.”

*******

Jason had been floating with the clouds, flying high because for the first time in forever, everything seemed to be working out. Damian with his new position as Robin had calmed down relatively. He was working hard to support his partner and listening to Jason more than he ever had. Tim was home and while the dislocated shoulder was an issue, he was safe and not on a wild hunt for Bruce. Not that he’d given up. It was just that now he was working more calmly and effectively. Then there was Dick who was slowly integrating himself into the pack, who was slowly becoming a part of Jason’s life once again. They had a long road ahead of them still. Jason knew that but he was sure that if they kept trying, if they kept pushing, one day they could be together without anything holding them back.   
  


For the first time in forever, he was happy beyond compare. Which is why, life had decided to bring him down to earth, chain his wings and remind him that nothing was as easy as it seemed.   
  


It wasn’t that Jason hated having Bruce home. He was his father. His alpha and someone he respected immensely. But he also knew how strained his relationship with Dick was, the way he perceived the omega and how Bruce’s presence would drive him away once again.   
  


Then again, Jason wasn’t really sure how Dick would react and the last thing he expected was to see him smile when he saw Bruce. But there was nothing friendly about it. It was almost senile, cruel, like he could see something that the rest of them couldn’t. Like he was about to do something that none of them could guess.   
  


And that something happened when Jason was going through the city, looking for Dick. When he stopped by the safe house, no one had been there, the whole thing stripped clean. Whatever Dick was planning, it ended with him leaving and Jason couldn’t allow that.   
  


Then the call came.   
  


_ “There have been reports of a disturbance downtown,”  _ Oracle informed.  _ “It’s Bruce and Dick.”  
  
_

Terrified about what would happen next, about how the night would end, Jason had hurried to the location that had been sent to him. All he knew was that he had to stop Dick before any real damage was done. All he knew was that he had to make him stay before he disappeared out of his reach. Something told him that if Dick left now, he would never come back. There wouldn’t be another chance. And after coming so close to everything he had ever wanted, Jason couldn’t fathom losing it all.   
  


Now here he was, wiping the sweat from his brows and breathing hard so close to Dick yet so far away. On his way to the site, he had encountered the one named Artemis, someone who seemed to know Dick very well. He had asked her not to let anyone come through, especially Jason and so she delivered. When Jason first looked at Artemis, he expected her to be all about brute strength but she was calculating, a bit similar to Dick in the way she reacted to attacks and defences. From the looks of it, she was familiar with Jason’s fighting style and knew exactly how to stop him.   
  


“Why are you doing this?” Jason asked, gripping his escrima sticks.   
  


“I am simply helping a friend. He needs this more than you know,” Artemis said, raising her hand and motioning for Jason to attack.  
  


“He could get hurt.”  
  


“Then you underestimate him. He has been planning for this day for years now. He didn’t start this on a whim. He started this because he knew he could win,” she said with absolute confidence in Dick’s abilities.  
  


And it was then that the realization hit Jason. Dick had always planned to become Batman. He had always planned to fight Bruce. This encounter was inevitable.   
  


“I need to see him,” Jason whispered, preparing for his next attack.  
  


“And you will, when he is ready,” Artemis said.  
  


Then, they started their fight all over again, going head to head, neither of them ready to back down.   
  


It was only when they were both tired and dependent on adrenaline to push them through when Artemis got the message.   
  


“You can go see him now,” was all she said as she stepped aside, letting Jason pass through.  
  


For a second, he wondered if this was just a trap to knock him out for good so that Dick could escape without any interference. But Artemis’s posture was already relaxed and she seemed to have dismissed Jason’s presence. While he wanted to be cautious, he couldn’t waste any more time than he already had so he left, hoping to find Dick, hoping that their story wouldn’t end this way.   
  


And when he reached the construction site, their Dick stood, breathing heavily with his head tilted towards the sky, guns hanging by his side. On the ground, unconscious was Bruce, a sight that Jason never thought he’d ever see.   
  


Dick had defeated Bruce.  
  


Dick had defeated Batman.   
  


“Bet you didn’t see this coming, huh?” Dick asked, his tone so light as if he hadn’t done everything he hoped to do.   
  


“Dick…” Jason whispered not knowing what to say.  
  


“Aww, Jay. Have I disappointed you too?” Dick asked, tilting his head. “The way I disappoint everyone apparently.” He then looked down at Bruce. “He certainly wasn’t happy with the idea of me being Batman even though I followed all his rules. Then again, when has he ever approved of anything I’ve done.”  
  


“No. No, no,” Jason hurriedly said, shaking his head. “I am not disappointed with you. I’m not.”  
  


But Dick didn’t seem to believe him. He couldn’t. Not when he knew the kind of person Jason was and the relationship he had with Bruce.   
  


“He’ll always be between us, won’t he? You’ll always be stuck in the middle, trying to choose him or me,” Dick said as he placed his guns back in their holster. “And even if you don’t want to choose, he’ll force you to do it. Even if it breaks your heart.”  
  


“I won’t choose.” Jason shook his head. How could he when both of them meant so much to him? “I can’t. I won’t.”  
  


“You will.” And when Dick said that, it broke Jason’s heart because he knew that his mate would rather leave than force him to choose between two people he loved.   
  


“No. I won’t,” Jason said stubbornly. “And if he forces me, I will leave him. It’s true that Bruce is important to me. He’s my family but if he genuinely cares for me, he won’t ever make me choose. If he genuinely cares for me, he’ll see that I need you in my life. I love you and I can’t imagine a future that doesn’t have you in it.”  
  


“You know he’s never been big on change,” Dick whispered, taking a step back.   
  


“And you know I’ve never been one to give in to his bullshit rules,” Jason said, taking a step forward.   
  


“When I came to the cave last night, I wanted to surprise you,” Dick started, still moving back like a scared kitten. Afraid that one wrong move would lead to his downfall. Afraid that he was making a mistake even though in his heart he knew this was right. “I wanted to tell you that I love you.”  
  


“Yeah?” Jason asked, his voice gentle, ready to coax Dick out of the corner and into his arms.   
  


Dick took in a deep breath, “I wanted to tell you that I want to be with you.”  
  


“And?” Jason encouraged him to keep going, doing his best to stay calm even though his heart was booming in his ears, every breath he took trembling.   
  


“I wanted to tell you that I’m ready to try. I don’t want to run anymore,” Dick finished. “Only if you’ll still have me.”  
  


Unable to hide his smile, Jason just held out his hand, knowing that if he said something now he’d burst into tears. And soon, Dick was flying into his arms, the feeling of his warmth against his body like a dream he’d seen so many times. Just that this time when he opened his eyes, Dick would still be here.   
  


This time when he opened his eyes, they would still have a chance. 

*******

Sitting in the manor garden, Dick stared at the sky, feeling a strange sense of fulfilment in his heart, something he knew he could never get used to. All his life, he was used to chasing after dreams, desperately trying to hold onto them as they continued to evade him, as they continued to leave him behind. But today, he finally had something he had always wanted. He finally became the better Batman and while his dream would seem petty to most, to him it was everything. It was a way for him to show everyone his worth. It was a way for him to let everyone know that just because he was an omega, it didn’t mean he was weak. While he couldn’t be Batman forever, he didn’t really mind. He was ready to start again. He was ready to dream of something new, something even better.   
  


Most of all, while this whole ordeal brought him fulfilment, it also brought him something even more special. It brought him Jason. Somehow, through some miracle, they were finally able to close the distance between them. Their roads had intersected and they could be together. Dick could look forward to a future where he would wake up with Jason by his side.   
  


As the door opened behind him, Damian stepped out and snuggled close to Dick without caring if anyone was watching. He seemed sad. Dick knew why.   
  


“Are you really leaving?” Damian asked, his voice small.   
  


“I am. There’s nothing left for me here and it’s time for me to go home,” Dick answered, running his fingers through the pup’s hair.   
  


“Where is home?” he asked, looking up confused.  
  


Dick smiled, remembering his discussion with Jason.   
  


“Home is Bludhaven.”  
  


Home was where Jason was.   
  


“Can I come to see you?” Damian asked, a hint of fear in his eyes.   
  


“Of course, Dami,” Dick said, leaning in to scent the pup. “You can always come to see me. Whenever you want. Bruce might be your father but you are my up, you get that?”  
  


“Whenever I want?” Damian asked, surprised by that response.   
  


Until now, he only got to see Dick whenever he was in Gotham, small visits that ended before he had a chance to savour them. The omega was always on the move because he needed to put a distance between him and the people who could open up his heart. People who could make him feel more than anger. But now, it seemed that Dick had decided to settle down. He had decided to put down his roots in a place where Damian could easily reach him.   
  


“Anytime.” Dick smiled, booping Damian’s nose.   
  


For so long, he had been a wanderer but now he had seen the world. He had seen things that others couldn’t even imagine and a part of him was tired. Then, Jason asked him to stay, he held out his hand and accepted Dick without any complaints, without any ultimatums that forced him to be something he wasn’t. He could come and go as he pleased. Stay for the night and be gone tomorrow. Jason understood that he needed to be free. He wouldn’t be the one to stand in his way. But as Dick took his hand, as he looked into his eyes, he knew he wanted to stay forever.   
  


And it was a change Dick didn’t mind at all. In fact, he was looking forward to it.   
  


He had fought his battles. He had defeated his demons and while the future was still uncertain, he was ready to be happy.  
  


He was ready to start again.  
  


This time, without any fear. This time, with Jason.

  
  


**Epilogue:**

As his alarm clock started to blare in his dreams, breaking the beautiful illusionary world he had created, with a groan, Jason woke up to shut the damn thing off. If he could, he would throw the elephant-shaped clock against the wall so he would never have to hear it ring again but Dick loved it so much, the design reminding him of his childhood. Jason loved his mate and was a sucker for his smile. As long as he got to see it every day, he’d give Dick everything he wanted. Tim thought he was whipped and he had to agree.   
  


Three years ago, when Dick moved into Jason’s Bludhaven apartment, while both of them were hopeful, they were also afraid because everything was changing. They were changing. All they had ever done was run away from each other. All they had ever done was be afraid of getting hurt, of being the one left behind. With an uncertain future before them, it was only natural for them to tread carefully, to doubt each move and wonder if tomorrow, the other would be gone. But days turned to months, months to years and every morning when Jason woke up, he found Dick sleeping by his side.  
  


They had their problems, their fights that ended with one of them sleeping on the couch. Sometimes Jason would storm out the door and head down to the manor. Sometimes Dick would run away from the house so he could hideaway in one of his many safe houses, something he had never let go of. But as day turned to night, they’d always come back to the apartment. They’d always come back to each other like two magnets that couldn’t stay apart for too long. Problems came and with them came tension. But there was nothing they couldn’t resolve, nothing they couldn’t get through.   
  


Just the way he did every morning, Jason took a few minutes to just look at Dick’s face as he slept, taking in the way his lips moved as he talked in his dreams, the small frowns and little groans, the shifts and the turns. Even after three years, this was so fascinating for him.   
  


“Dickie,” he finally said, voice gentle as he stroked his mate’s cheek. “It’s time to wake up. We promised to go to the recital at Dami’s school.”  
  


Groaning, Dick turned away from Jason, pulling the covers to hide his face, making the alpha laugh.   
  


Knowing that Dick wouldn’t wake up so easily, Jason employed the next best possible tactic and started tickling him. Soon, the omega was thrashing and laughing in his arms.  
  


“You’re such an ass!” Dick exclaimed trying to push Jason away.   
  


“But you promised Dami!” Jason fought back, his lips pulled into a wide grin.  
  


“I hate you so much!”  
  


“Nah. You love me.”  
  


“I want a divorce!”  
  


“Sure, honey. Maybe after breakfast?”  
  


As Dick grumbled and got up, Jason just watched him go with a smile on his face, his eyes flickering down to the blue and platinum band around his ring finger, a symbol of their love. While they had never shared bond marks, just as Jason had said, he had asked Dick to marry him and had gotten a yes as an answer. They had a small wedding on the manor grounds with only their friends and family. Alfred had officiated. Roy was Jason’s best man while Damian was Dick’s and they had both been walked down the aisle by Bruce and Artemis respectively. It was everything that Jason had dreamed of and the moment he had his first dance with Dick, he knew he’d love him forever.   
  


That could never change.   
  


“Jason Peter Todd, I swear if you don’t get your ass out of bed,” Dick growled as he opened the closet to pick out clothes for the recital.   
  


Laughing, Jason got up and rushed over to where Dick was, hugging his mate as tightly as he could.   
  


“I love you,” he whispered into Dick’s ear, making him blush a million shades of red.   
  


“We’re still going,” Dick said stubbornly and Jason grinned.    
  


He was finally happy. 

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, listen. I've said this once, I'll say it again. I suck at writing action scenes (not that the other scenes are any better). Anyway, this series has finally reached its conclusion and I'm so grateful to everyone who has been reading from the start. I know I'm terrible at replying to comments but I read them all and I appreciate every single of them. Thank you all so much!~
> 
> PS - I really like the mental image of Dick and Jason having an emotional moment while Bruce is lying on the ground, face first and going "Guys? Help?" I'm a comedian ya know?
> 
> See you for the next fic!


End file.
